[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12729]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   IN RECOGNITION OF CONSTITUTION DAY

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                           HON. MIKE COFFMAN

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 14, 2016

  Mr. COFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Constitution 
Day. Each year, we celebrate Constitution Day on September 17th, in 
honor of the signing of the document over two centuries ago on 
September 17, 1787. This holiday provides our nation with the 
opportunity to discuss, critically examine, and celebrate one of the 
most important documents in American history.
  The strength of America lies in its people and the establishment of 
laws by their fellow citizens. The United States Constitution serves as 
the foundation of our government and provides our people with the rule 
of law over tyranny and lawlessness. It is an inspiration that the 
founders of our great country were able to prescribe for our fledgling 
nation the principles and rules that continue to guide us and to be a 
beacon of democracy and freedom worldwide.
  Honoring and celebrating this great document provides us with the 
opportunity to reflect and study an important piece of American 
history. Congress first established Constitution and Citizenship Day in 
1952, and in 2007 the act was expanded to prescribe educational 
programs and lessons to all institutions which receive funding from the 
Department of Education.
  Therefore, I encourage all Americans, especially those who are 
educators of our young, to set aside some classroom time this month to 
examine the Constitution in both celebration, and in review, as well as 
to promote a greater understanding of how the Constitution has 
contributed to making our country the great nation it is today.

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